It was announced on July 2nd that actor Kazunari Ninomiya will be hosting the major music special "NHK Summer Music Festival: Uta de Aetara 2026" (NHK General TV and others), which will air on August 15th at 6:05 PM. The announcement was made by NHK on the same day.
The program is a music special that the whole family can enjoy, broadcasting from NHK Hall and featuring a selection of beloved songs from the Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa eras, based on requests and messages from viewers. Ninomiya will team up with Motoki Omori of the popular band Mrs. Green Apple , who has already been announced as the host, and actress Keiko Kitagawa to make the program a success.
Ninomiya also hosted the network's major music program "MUSIC GIFT 2025 ~Let's Give You a Song of Hope~" last summer.
◇Comment from Kazunari Ninomiya
Last summer, I had the honor of hosting "MUSIC GIFT." Held at NHK Hall, it brought together a star-studded lineup, much like a "Summer Kohaku Uta Gassen," and it was a day that truly reminded me of the power of music. I am incredibly grateful to have been asked to participate again this year.
The roads will probably be crowded during Obon (laughs), so I really hope everyone will watch this program together at home. I want this special program to be the kind of show that, when watched with family, will keep someone in the family singing along. Sometimes dads and moms will sing, sometimes the kids will sing and it will spark a conversation like, "What song is that?", and there will be time for grandparents to sing along too. I think a program where singing can be heard throughout the house would be perfect for the night of Obon.
Having Mr. Omori and Mr. Kitagawa host the show together is truly refreshing and will be a rare opportunity to see this kind of hosting. I have a feeling that the two of them will rely on me for some reason (laughs). I think there are things that only the three of us can do, so I hope we can enjoy ourselves without being overly nervous and participate in various aspects of the program.
The roads are really crowded (lol), so everyone, please watch it at home with your family.
